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Suspects Plead Not Guilty in Stabbing Death of Marine

A pair of suspects involved in an alleged fight that left a Marine dead and his friend wounded pleaded not guilty to charges in court Thursday. NBC 7's Audra Stafford reports. (Published Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018)

Two men accused of fatally stabbing a Camp Pendleton-based U.S. Marine during a brawl in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter have a history of violent predatory attacks, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Jose Oscar Esqueda, 30, and Jeff Shai Holliday, 24, both of San Diego, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges stemming from the stabbing of 21-year-old Ryan Evan Harris, a Northern California native assigned to Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Lt. Todd Griffin said.

On Thursday, a prosecutor said that Esqueda and Holliday had a history of violent attacks where they "find unwitting victims, target them, attack them," and said they were involved in two similar attacks last April — one in Pacific Beach and another at a Chula Vista mall.

The prosecutor said the night of the stabbing, the two men targeted a man using his cell phone near Island and Fifth avenues in downtown San Diego; one suspect got the man's attention while the other came up from behind and sucker-punched him.

2 Arrested in Marine Stabbing Death

Ryan Harris had only been married for a few months when he was killed. NBC 7's Alex Presha reports.

(Published Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017)

Harris saw this happening and confronted the suspects, at which point Esqueda stabbed him just below the neck, severing his aorta, the prosecutor said.

When police officers arrived, they found the Marine on the sidewalk, suffering from stab wounds to his upper body.The officer and bystanders tried to help him while paramedics arrived. Despite those efforts, Harris died at the scene.

Harris' friend was also stabbed, and located on J Street and 5th Avenue, about a block away from where Harris was found.